September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and Hamilton County DD Services (HCDDS) is launching a new resource page for caregivers, peers and professionals. This new page is the culmination of six months of dedicated work by the Suicide Prevention Task Force.
HCDDS created this Task Force in response to measurable levels of loneliness, mental illness, and suicide ideation that exist among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Our goal is a proactive suicide prevention plan: ACT, which stands for Alert, Campaign, and Train. We want to move from once-a-year data reporting to providing ongoing training, credible information, and action steps at all stages of suicide-related concerns.
Our Suicide Prevention Task Force includes:
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- Members of HCDDS’ Advocacy, Life Course, Inclusion, and Family Engagement (ALIFE) team; the Major Unusual Incident and Prevention (MUIP) team; and the Behavior Support team
- Mary Wolff, coordinator for the Hamilton County Suicide Prevention Coalition
- Holly Watson, program manager of Project CARE at the YWCA of Cincinnati
- Bill Brown and Jason Harris of the Hamilton County Recovery Center
- Other advocates with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities
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The Task Force’s work will continue into 2026 and beyond, empowering caregivers, peers, and professionals to identify risks, assist those who need help, and involve others in suicide prevention efforts.
View our resource page at HamiltonDDSOhio.gov/suicide-prevention. If you or someone you know needs help now, call or text 988 or call 911 for immediate emergencies.
